Crash Course: There will be no gun control: For many white Americans, the idea of the gun is all they have left

White Americans cling to the gun as a symbol of strength and independence. They see its loss as a final, fatal blow. Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0QWaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tL1cDc3BjQgpimESBoGK7S2RRUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~). [White-Light/White-Heat] Original Illustration by Mr. Fish There will be no gun control: For many white Americans, the idea of the gun is all they have left Yes, the gun lobby and weapons manufacturers fuel the violence with easily available assault-style weapons, whose small caliber 5.56 mm cartridges make them largely useless for hunting. Yes, the lax gun laws and risible background checks are partially to blame. But America also fetishizes guns. This fetish has intensified among white working-class men, who have seen everything slip beyond their grasp: economic stability, a sense of place within the society, hope for the future and political empowerment. The fear of losing the gun is the final crushing blow to self-esteem and dignity, a surrender to the economic and political forces that have destroyed their lives. They cling to the gun as an idea, a belief that with it they are strong, unassailable and independent. The shifting sands of demographics, with white people [projected](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0RvaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnJvb2tpbmdzLmVkdS9ibG9nL3RoZS1hdmVudWUvMjAxOC8wMy8xNC90aGUtdXMtd2lsbC1iZWNvbWUtbWlub3JpdHktd2hpdGUtaW4tMjA0NS1jZW5zdXMtcHJvamVjdHMvVwNzcGNCCmKYRIGgYrtLZFFSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) to become a minority in the U.S. by 2045, intensifies this primal desire — they would say need — to own a weapon. White people built their supremacy in America and globally with violence. They massacred Native Americans and stole their land. They kidnapped Africans, shipped them as cargo to the Americas, and then enslaved, lynched, imprisoned and impoverished Black people for generations. They have always gunned down Black people with impunity, a historical reality only recently discernible to most white people because of cell phone videos of killings. "The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic and a killer," D.H. Lawrence [writes](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0QxaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYW1hem9uLmNvbS9kcC8xMTA3NDU3NTA1Lz90YWc9Zm9wby0yMFcDc3BjQgpimESBoGK7S2RRUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~). "It has never yet melted." White society, sometimes overtly and sometimes unconsciously, deeply fears Black retribution for its four centuries of murderous assaults. [Read more from Chris Hedges.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0RzaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDYvMDcvdGhlcmUtd2lsbC1iZS1uby1jb250cm9sLWZvci1tYW55LWFtZXJpY2Fucy10aGUtaWRlYS1vZi10aGUtaXMtYWxsLXRoZXktaGF2ZS1sZWZ0L1cDc3BjQgpimESBoGK7S2RRUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) [Marjorie-Taylor-Greene-and-Milo-Yiannopoulos] Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images Marjorie Taylor Greene and Milo Yiannopoulos: A match made in troll heaven On Monday morning, far-right provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos posted a [picture](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0QdaHR0cHM6Ly90Lm1lL01pbG9DbGluaWMvMzU3OTlXA3NwY0IKYphEgaBiu0tkUVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) on his Telegram account of an ID badge bearing his picture and identifying him as a new congressional intern for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the far-right Georgia Republican. In the accompanying post, first reported by [Right Wing Watch](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0Q9aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9SaWdodFdpbmdXYXRjaC9zdGF0dXMvMTUzMzg0OTA3MTM5NTUyMDUxM1cDc3BjQgpimESBoGK7S2RRUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~), he wrote, "I've finally been persuaded out of retirement. But my skills are a bit rusty, so the best role I could land was an unpaid internship with a friend. Pray for me!" Shortly thereafter, he [added](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0QdaHR0cHM6Ly90Lm1lL01pbG9DbGluaWMvMzU4MDBXA3NwY0IKYphEgaBiu0tkUVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), "Mummy always said I'd end up in government!" By Monday afternoon, Greene's office had confirmed the news, with the congresswoman elaborating in a statement to [multiple](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0RbaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhlZGFpbHliZWFzdC5jb20vbWlsby15aWFubm9wb3Vsb3MtaXMtbm93LWludGVybmluZy1mb3ItbWFyam9yaWUtdGF5bG9yLWdyZWVuZVcDc3BjQgpimESBoGK7S2RRUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) [outlets](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0RzaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbmV4YW1pbmVyLmNvbS9uZXdzL3NlZS1pdC1tYXJqb3JpZS10YXlsb3ItZ3JlZW5lcy1vZmZpY2UtY29uZmlybXMtbWlsby15aWFubm9wb3Vsb3MtaW50ZXJuc2hpcFcDc3BjQgpimESBoGK7S2RRUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~), "So I have an intern that was raped by a priest as a young teen, was gay, has offended everyone at some point, turned his life back to Jesus and Church, and changed his life. Great story!" On one hand, it's a match made in right-wing heaven. Yiannopoulos, the troll king who reveled in liberal outrage at the height of his alt-right fame in 2016, formally matched with Greene, a QAnon sympathizer who turned the same sort of provocation into a political career. Appointing Yiannopoulos — a 37-year-old "ex-gay" Brit with a miles-long history of extreme racism, homophobia and misogyny — as a congressional summer intern is certainly an audacious piece of lib-owning. But all lulz aside, it also represents the deepening entanglement of both official Republican politics and conservative religion with white nationalist ideology. [Read more from Kathryn Joyce.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0RlaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDYvMDcvbWFyam9yaWUtdGF5bG9yLWdyZWVuZS1hbmQtbWlsby15aWFubm9wb3Vsb3MtYS1tYXRjaC1tYWRlLWluLWhlYXZlbi9XA3NwY0IKYphEgaBiu0tkUVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - Jan. 6 blackout: [Fox News refuses to air hearings](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0R3aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDYvMDcvamFuLTYtYmxhY2tvdXQtZm94LW5ld3MtcmVmdXNlcy10by1haXItaGVhcmluZ3MtYXMtcGxhbnMtY291bnRlcnByb2dyYW1taW5nLXRvLWRlZmVuZC9XA3NwY0IKYphEgaBiu0tkUVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) as GOP plans "counterprogramming" to defend Trump - Let's celebrate the [art of the glow-down](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0RJaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDYvMDcvbGV0cy1jZWxlYnJhdGUtdGhlLWFydC1vZi10aGUtZ2xvdy1kb3duL1cDc3BjQgpimESBoGK7S2RRUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - [GOP lawmaker still "livid" over Jan. 6](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0RpaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDYvMDcvbGF3bWFrZXItc3RpbGwtbGl2aWQtb3Zlci1qYW4tNi1jYWxscy1hLW5hcmNpc3Npc3QtaXMtZHJpdmVuLWJ5LXJldmVuZ2UvVwNzcGNCCmKYRIGgYrtLZFFSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~), calls Trump a "narcissist" who is "driven by revenge" - "Trumpian" effort to recall San Francisco's progressive district attorney [bankrolled by GOP money](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0R8aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDYvMDcvdHJ1bXBpYW4tZWZmb3J0LXRvLXJlY2FsbC1zYW4tZnJhbmNpc2Nvcy1wcm9ncmVzc2l2ZS1kaXN0cmljdC1hdHRvcm5leS1iYW5rcm9sbGVkLWJ5LW1vbmV5L1cDc3BjQgpimESBoGK7S2RRUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - Marjorie Taylor Greene outraged by [parody Twitter account](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0RxaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDYvMDcvbWFyam9yaWUtdGF5bG9yLWdyZWVuZS1vdXRyYWdlZC1ieS1wYXJvZHktdHdpdHRlci1hY2NvdW50LWxhYmVsZWQtYXMtbWlzbGVhZGluZy9XA3NwY0IKYphEgaBiu0tkUVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) labeled as "misleading" Not a subscriber yet? [Sign up](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0RVaHR0cHM6Ly9zYWxvbi51czgubGlzdC1tYW5hZ2UuY29tL3N1YnNjcmliZT91PTcxY2IzZThhNmU5NjM5YzgxMDIzY2Q0MjcmaWQ9NWRlZGEyYWFhN1cDc3BjQgpimESBoGK7S2RRUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) to receive Crash Course. [Pulse-nightclub-memorial-rally] Drew Angerer/Getty Images Republicans hijack Pride month: A celebration turns to harassing, abusing, and trolling LGBTQ people Nowadays, the month of June is notable to most Americans not just for the hot weather, swimming pools, and [explosion of summer produce](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDYvMDQvc3VtbWVyLW1lYWwtcHJlcC1ob3ctdG8taGVhdC11cC15b3VyLWtpdGNoZW4tanVzdC1vbmNlLXRvLWVhdC1hbGwtd2Vlay9XA3NwY0IKYphEgaBiu0tkUVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), but also for the cheerful displays of rainbows everywhere to honor Pride. While there's[ plenty of criticism to be had about the corporate-ization](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0SDaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMTkvMDYvMzAvb24tdGhlLTUwdGgtYW5uaXZlcnNhcnktb2Ytc3RvbmV3YWxsLWFjdGl2aXN0cy1zZWVrLXRvLXJlY2xhaW0tcHJpZGUtZnJvbS1jb3Jwb3JhdGlvbnMtYW5kLXBvbGljZS9XA3NwY0IKYphEgaBiu0tkUVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) of Pride, what is also true is that, for right-wing bigots who still refuse to accept LGBTQ identities, the ubiquitous, normalizing presence of the rainbow flag during this month chaps their hides. Unfortunately, that means right-wing propagandists and Republicans see an opportunity to use Pride month to pander directly to the worst people in our society, turning up the trolling and harassment of LGBTQ people during a moment of celebration. Marjorie Taylor Greene's trolling hire of Milo Yiannopoulos is just the most ridiculous example of what is shaping up to be a deeply ugly month of Republicans leeching onto the publicity of Pride month to spread lies, stoke homophobia, and target LGBTQ people for harassment and violence. [As Melissa Gira Grant writes in the New Republic](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0RHaHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdyZXB1YmxpYy5jb20vYXJ0aWNsZS8xNjY2NzMvcmVwdWJsaWNhbnMtbWlsaXRpYXMtcHJpZGUtbGdidHFXA3NwY0IKYphEgaBiu0tkUVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), Republicans in state legislatures are making alliances with groups that have been "threatening to confront Pride celebrations with armed protest or 'hunting' LGBTQ people and allies." Aided by prominent figures [like Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDMvMDgvZmxvcmlkYS1yZXZpdmUtcXVlZXJzLXJlY3J1aXQtbXl0aC13aXRoLXBhc3NhZ2Utb2YtZG9udC1zYXktZ2F5LWJpbGwvVwNzcGNCCmKYRIGgYrtLZFFSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~), the right has been hyping false accusations that LGBTQ people are "grooming" children to be sexually molested as part of a national conspiracy that supposedly involves the Democratic Party, as well as [corporations like Disney and the company that makes Oreo cookies](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0RaaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDQvMDcvYm95Y290dGluZy1kaXNuZXktYW5kLW9yZW9zLXRoZS1yZWQtZmxhZ3MtdGhhdC1tYWdhLWlzLWEvVwNzcGNCCmKYRIGgYrtLZFFSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~). This risible rhetoric is [clearly meant to encourage violence](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDQvMTEvdGhlLWdvYWwtb2YtdGhlLWdvcHMtcWFub24taW5mbHVlbmNlZC1ncm9vbWVyLXRyb2xsLW1vcmUtcG9saXRpY2FsLXZpb2xlbmNlL1cDc3BjQgpimESBoGK7S2RRUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~), and it's working. As Grant reports, trolls are threatening to harass Pride parades and are filming themselves attacking LGBTQ-friendly churches. [Read more from Amanda Marcotte.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0R3aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDYvMDcvaGlqYWNrLXByaWRlLW1vbnRoLWEtY2VsZWJyYXRpb24tdHVybnMtdG8taGFyYXNzaW5nLWFidXNpbmctYW5kLXRyb2xsaW5nLWxnYnRxLXBlb3BsZS9XA3NwY0IKYphEgaBiu0tkUVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "The Institutionalist: Dianne Feinstein fought for gun control, civil rights, and abortion access for half a century. Where did it all go wrong?" [The Cut](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0ROaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhlY3V0LmNvbS9hcnRpY2xlL2RpYW5uZS1mZWluc3RlaW4tYWJvcnRpb24tZ3VuLWNpdmlsLXJpZ2h0cy5odG1sVwNzcGNCCmKYRIGgYrtLZFFSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - "Twilight of the NIMBY," [The New York Times](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0RYaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wNi8wNS9idXNpbmVzcy9lY29ub215L2NhbGlmb3JuaWEtaG91c2luZy1jcmlzaXMtbmltYnkuaHRtbFcDc3BjQgpimESBoGK7S2RRUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - "American Rasputin: Steve Bannon is still scheming. And he’s still a threat to democracy," [The Atlantic](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0RjaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhlYXRsYW50aWMuY29tL21hZ2F6aW5lL2FyY2hpdmUvMjAyMi8wNy9zdGV2ZS1iYW5ub24td2FyLXJvb20tZGVtb2NyYWN5LXRocmVhdC82Mzg0NDMvVwNzcGNCCmKYRIGgYrtLZFFSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - "Moms for Liberty Has Created Nightmares for Schools Across the Country," [The New Republic](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0QYaHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdyZXB1YmxpYy5jb20vVwNzcGNCCmKYRIGgYrtLZFFSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - "Garcetti allies tried to put the screws to Mark Kelly. It may have backfired." [Politico](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0R9aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucG9saXRpY28uY29tL25ld3MvMjAyMi8wNi8wNi9nYXJjZXR0aS1hbGxpZXMtdHJpZWQtdG8tcHV0LXRoZS1zY3Jld3MtdG8tbWFyay1rZWxseS1pdC1tYXktaGF2ZS1iYWNrZmlyZWQtMDAwMzc1MzZXA3NwY0IKYphEgaBiu0tkUVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "The Washington Post Dumpster Fire Is Still Raging," [The Daily Beast](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0RPaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhlZGFpbHliZWFzdC5jb20vdGhlLXdhc2hpbmd0b24tcG9zdC1kdW1wc3Rlci1maXJlLWlzLXN0aWxsLXJhZ2luZ1cDc3BjQgpimESBoGK7S2RRUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) [Mike-Lindell] Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Michigan Trump backers attempted 11 voting breaches — and a mysterious “third party” seized machines Michigan authorities have uncovered at least 11 breaches or attempted breaches of voting systems, bringing the total number of confirmed attempts to infiltrate election data to 17 nationwide. In one case in Roscommon County, a Richfield Township official admitted that he gave two vote-counting machines to an unauthorized and unidentified "third party," who held on to the machines for several weeks early last year. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, [said in February](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0SYaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWljaGlnYW4uZ292L3Nvcy9yZXNvdXJjZXMvcHJlc3MtcmVsZWFzZXMvMjAyMi8wMi8xMC9zZWNyZXRhcnktYmVuc29uLXJlcXVlc3RzLWxhdy1lbmZvcmNlbWVudC1pbnZlc3RpZ2F0aW9uLW9mLXBvc3NpYmxlLXVuYXV0aG9yaXplZC1hY2Nlc3NXA3NwY0IKYphEgaBiu0tkUVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) that unauthorized individuals "gained inappropriate access to tabulation machines and data drives" used in the county. State police found that security seals on one machine suggested it was tampered with. The township was forced to buy new vote tabulators as a result of the breach. Roscommon County Clerk Michelle Stevenson, a Republican, also admitted earlier this year that she had provided a data storage drive that contained election information "for one or both" of the vote tabulators taken in Richfield Township as well as access to another county vote-counting machine to an unidentified third party. State police raided her office in March. [Read more from Igor Derysh.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0R9aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDYvMDcvbWljaGlnYW4tYmFja2Vycy1hdHRlbXB0ZWQtMTEtdm90aW5nLWJyZWFjaGVzLS1hbmQtYS1teXN0ZXJpb3VzLXRoaXJkLXBhcnR5LXNlaXplZC1tYWNoaW5lcy9XA3NwY0IKYphEgaBiu0tkUVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) Have a tip for Salon? Feedback on this newsletter? [Let us know](mailto:brett.bachman@salon.com). Our mailing address: 1000 N. West Street, Suite 1200 Wilmington, DE 19801 [Unsubscribe from this list](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9yZWFkLmxldHRlcmhlYWQuZW1haWwvY3Jhc2gtY291cnNlL3Vuc3Vic2NyaWJlP2lkPUAzNTQzOTUyVwNzcGNCCmKYRIGgYrtLZFFSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Copyright © 2022 Crash Course, All rights reserved. [Made with Letterhead [Letterhead logo]](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkgwZDP0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmVwbm83czh5c1cDc3BjQgpimESBoGK7S2RRUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~)